The breeds · side by side
for a mixed bag
German Shorthaired Pointer or German Wirehaired Pointer.
The same German versatile idea in two coats. For a handler who hunts upland in October and ducks in December, the coat and the water work are where these two separate; the rest is closer than people expect.
Every value below shows its source and how sure we are. Breed sets the odds; the parents set the dog. Nothing here is a prediction about one dog.
What the question turns on
Coat
Short and thick, tough to the hand; somewhat longer under the tail and back edges of the haunches; softer, thinner and shorter on ears and head; long body hair severely penalized
Functional wiry coat, weather resistant and to some extent water-repellent; outer coat straight, harsh, wiry, flat lying, one to two inches long; undercoat dense enough in winter to insulate, almost invisible in summer; shorter on legs and skull; facial furnishings (beard, eyebrows)
Cold water
3 of 5 · 3 of 5: short dense coat with little undercoat; bred for water work but not a late-season water specialist
4 of 5 · 4 of 5: water-repellent wire coat with a dense winter undercoat; bred for and tested in water work
Water work
Water work is part of the breed's definition: GSPCA water tests (Novice Retrieving Dog, Retrieving Dog, Retrieving Dog Excellent) require a swimming retrieve of a dispatched bird to hand, judged pass/fail; NAVHDA Utility includes a duck search
Water work is core to the breed: bred to retrieve waterfowl; the coat is described as protection in heavy cover and cold water; NAVHDA Utility includes a duck search
Also used on
Retrieving on land and water (GSPCA water tests use duck at the advanced levels); fur (rabbit, fox); tracking wounded game
Waterfowl (ducks, geese); fur including fox; tracking wounded game
Range
Medium: a versatile dog that hunts for the gun and is judged on cooperation and search within the handler's reach
Medium: a versatile dog that hunts for the gun and is judged on cooperation and search within the handler's reach
The rest, read the same way
Height at the shoulder
dogs 24 in (23 to 25) · bitches 22 in (21 to 23)
dogs 25 in (24 to 26) · bitches 22 in
Weight
dogs 62.5 lb (55 to 70) · bitches 52.5 lb (45 to 60)
60 lb (50 to 70)
Shedding
Shedding 3 of 5 (AKC breed page trait score)
Shedding 2 of 5 (AKC breed page trait score)
Heat tolerance
4 of 5 · 4 of 5: short, dense, hard coat
3 of 5 · 3 of 5: medium-length harsh double coat; undercoat thins in summer
Median lifespan
13.4 years (13.3 to 13.6)
13 years (12.5 to 13.6)
Exercise need
More than 2 hours per day
More than 2 hours per day
Exercise need
More than 2 hours per day
More than 2 hours per day
Energy
5 of 5
5 of 5
Grooming load
2 of 5 · Once a week
3 of 5 · More than once a week
Grooming
Once a week
More than once a week
Role
Versatile hunter, an all-purpose gun dog capable of high performance in field and water: points, retrieves on land and water, tracks
Versatile hunter built for agility and endurance in the field; points upland game, retrieves on land and water, tracks wounded game, works fur
Primary game
Upland birds (pheasant, grouse)
Upland birds (quail, pheasant, chukar)
Field trial standard
NAVHDA: Natural Ability (to 16 months: nose, search, pointing, desire, cooperation, tracking, water entry, gun shyness), Gun Dog Test (formerly Utility Preparatory) and Utility (field search, pointing, steadiness, retrieve of shot bird and dragged game, duck search and water retrieves, obedience); dogs are judged against a standard by three judges and prized I, II or III, not placed against each other
NAVHDA: Natural Ability (to 16 months: nose, search, pointing, desire, cooperation, tracking, water entry, gun shyness), Gun Dog Test (formerly Utility Preparatory) and Utility (field search, pointing, steadiness, retrieve of shot bird and dragged game, duck search and water retrieves, obedience); dogs are judged against a standard by three judges and prized I, II or III
Hip dysplasia
3.7% · 3.7% dysplastic of 23,655 OFA hip evaluations on record (OFA data service, retrieved Oct 5 2026); 95.9% normal (28.9% excellent, 60.7% good, 6.3% fair); 2.5% mild, 1.0% moderate, 0.2% severe; OFA rank 196
8.9% · 8.9% dysplastic of 5,918 OFA hip evaluations on record (OFA data service, retrieved Oct 5 2026); 90.0% normal (18.8% excellent, 60.0% good, 11.2% fair); 6.3% mild, 2.4% moderate, 0.2% severe; OFA rank 143
Elbow dysplasia
1.4% · 1.4% abnormal of 7,824 OFA elbow evaluations on record (OFA data service, retrieved Oct 5 2026; 1.2% grade I, 0.2% grade II, 0.0% grade III); 98.5% normal; OFA rank 134
2.9% · 2.9% abnormal of 2,055 OFA elbow evaluations on record (OFA data service, retrieved Oct 5 2026; 2.4% grade I, 0.4% grade II, 0.1% grade III); 96.9% normal; OFA rank 108
Most common disorders
UK owner survey (n = 362 living GSPs; 33.7% with at least one reported condition): lipoma 10.8%, skin cyst 5.8%, arthritis 2.8%, skin lump 1.7%, spondylosis 1.4% (significantly above the all-breed 0.26%), epilepsy 1.4%
Parent club health priorities: hip dysplasia (OFA 9% abnormal), autoimmune thyroiditis (OFA 8.9% abnormal of 1,033 thyroid evaluations through Dec 2019), hemangiosarcoma; elbow dysplasia (2.7%), eye disease (1.1% of 368), cardiac (0.8% abnormal, advanced) at lower rates
What to ask a breeder for
Clearances
- Cone degeneration (CD) DNA test · US
- Eye examination by a board-certified veterinary ophthalmologist · US
- Cardiac exam · US
- Elbow evaluation · US
- Hip evaluation · US
- Eye testing · UK
- Elbow scoring · UK
- Hip scoring · UK
- Thyroid evaluation and von Willebrand's disease screening (GSPCA: 'some will also have' these done; not a CHIC requirement) · US
- von Willebrand disease type 2 (vWD2) DNA test · UK
- Eye testing · UK
- Elbow scoring · UK
- Hip scoring · UK
- von Willebrand's disease DNA test (optional) · US
- Cardiac evaluation by a cardiologist · US
- Eye examination by a board-certified veterinary ophthalmologist · US
- Autoimmune thyroiditis · US
- Elbow evaluation · US
- Hip evaluation · US
The health clearances each breed’s own club and registry name. Reference only: what to ask for, never a statement about any dog’s health.
The selector
Which one, for your life?
A few minutes of honest answers: the birds, the ground, the water, the house, the week. The selector ranks both of these against what you said, explains every rank, and shows exactly where the one you came in wanting lands.
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